General Information

We are a boarding school with over 450 boarders, lessons on Saturday mornings and consequently long holidays. Our boarders span the age range 7-18, giving a family feel to the school. Our emphasis is on each pupil achieving their potential both in terms of examinations and also in sport, music, drama and many other activities.

Facilities

Primary Department, covering the age range 7-11 with a suite of classrooms around a playground and a vibrant Primary boarding house. Well equipped Secondary school with boarders housed in eight purpose-built boarding houses. New boarding annexes with ensuite single study bedrooms for Sixth Formers. Performing Arts Centre which is also a 400 seat Theatre. Large, well-equipped Music department. All weather, floodlit sports pitches, indoor swimming pool, Fitness Centre, outdoor gym, dance studio and a covered games area. Riding School with our own horses, an outdoor Sand School and an Indoor Riding School.

Entrance Requirements

Confidential reference from current school and interview.

Scholarships

Academic and sporting scholarships to pupils of outstanding merit who are admitted as full boarders into Year 7 or Year 9 at the start of the academic year. Sixth Form Scholarships for pupils who achieve at least 6 A*s at GCSEs. Up to two thirds Boarding Bursaries for the sons and daughters of the Clergy. Bursaries are also available if there is a demonstrable need for boarding.

Open Days

2019. Sat. 16th March and Sat. 18th May, Sat. 21st September and Sat. 12th October. All are welcome

Our level of charges is very significantly lower than that of almost every other UK boarding school because Royal Alexandra and Albert School is a state-maintained, voluntary-aided school, rather than an independent or private school.

After 260 years of supporting children with difficult home circumstances, and undertaking a major refurbishment project on one of its key buildings, it was felt appropriate to have an impactful celebration.

The School’s President, Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Gloucester came to officially re-open Gatton Hall by cutting the ribbon. She joined other special guests including beneficiaries of the work of the School’s Foundation.

The Duchess talked to staff who care for ‘Foundation’ pupils and also spoke to some of the pupils that currently benefit from the support of the School’s charity. She then met staff who have worked on the £3.2m refurbishment project for Gatton Hall which was completed, on time, after a project lasting 18 months.

The Duchess and guests enjoyed seeing the newly refurbished building which is both a Sixth Form boarding house and a venue for important school occasions. The Grade ll listed building is the home of 46 students who now have newly decorated bedrooms, two new common rooms, a cinema room and computer room. They proudly showed the Duchess around and talked about life as a boarder in Gatton Hall.

Headmaster, Mark Dixon, said “I would like to thank Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Gloucester, for joining us to celebrate these two important milestones in the School’s history.

“The refurbishment of Gatton Hall has allowed us to keep the building open for future generations to enjoy. Without this investment we could not have guaranteed its future.

“I am proud to be the Headmaster of a School that, after 260 years, continues to support children with difficult home circumstances. I think that is something worth celebrating”

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – School Community Celebrates Sporting Triumph

of Gloucester Cup and the Patron’s Cup. This tournament is one of the highlights of the School’s sporting calendar and an event pupils look forward to every year.

Amongst cheering crowds, teams from Year 7 to the Sixth Form played against their counterparts at Gordon’s. For the first time, the School hosted all of the rugby games, with Gordon’s School hosting the netball matches.

The netball teams were excited to take to the court and match their skills against their traditional rivals. The Year 9 team confidently won their match 22-9 but their team mates in Year 7 narrowly lost theirs by 10-7, with Year 8 also taking a 16-6 loss.

The First VII Duchess of Gloucester Cup netball game was closely fought. Both teams played very well and it was difficult to determine who would eventually walk away the winner. In the end, Gordon’s took the Cup with a 14-10 win.

In the rugby, pupils in Years 7 to 10 were ready to take on their opponents in a number of simultaneous matches held in the top and bottom fields. It was an exciting morning of rugby which saw the Year 8 A team and B team secure great wins, both teams scoring 50 points and over. The Year 10s also did very well and, in an excellent display of rugby skills, won their match 48-7.

The last game of the morning was the most highly anticipated of the rugby tournament, where the School’s First XV took on Gordon’s for the Sovereign’s Cup. For the last four years, the cup has resided at Gordon’s but, this year, the home team were determined to win it back.

It was an exciting game, with the School’s team dominating throughout. The First XV team took to the field and Gordon’s were unable to respond quickly enough. Both teams demonstrated great skills and good team work, and this was highlighted by the excellent sportsmanship and camaraderie that was displayed by all players through the tournament.

Now that the Sovereign’s Cup has made it back to Gatton, there is no intention of letting it go. Coaches and players are already looking forward to next year’s season and making plans to keep hold of the Cup.

Headmaster, Mark Dixon, said of the day, “I’m very proud of our pupils who represented the School. Their efforts for their teams were outstanding and they played their best on the day. Special congratulations go to our First XV for winning the Sovereign’s Cup; it was a well-deserved win and one that I know the players and their coaches were single-minded in their efforts to achieve.

It was also lovely to see so much support from players’ families and friends who joined us for a wonderful morning of sport as a community. Nine rugby teams played at home and it was great to see this being made possible by using our two new pitches. My thanks also to the PTA for their assistance with food and drink for the supporters.

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – Oxbridge Success!

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge and was delighted to receive an offer from the world renowned university. As part of her UCAS application, she also applied to other top universities but was keen to study at Cambridge because of the opportunities it offers.

The application process for her course was very competitive with just over 50 places available to study the subject of her choice. Eva will hopefully be joining Girton College in September.

Kaka,18, was also delighted with her offer to read Archaeology and Anthropology at Oxford University. She explained her choice of university by saying, “I’ve always been taught to strive for excellence, and Oxford comes second in the world for Archaeology and Anthropology. When I visited the university, I liked the way they presented the course and I’m excited to learn more about it.”

Kaka will be joining her first choice of college, Magdalene College, which only offers two places for new applicants who wish to study Archaeology and Anthropology.

Kaka and Eva are now working hard to achieve the grades they need this summer. We wish them the best of luck, and look forward to more of our students receiving offers from their first choice universities.

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – MUN conference commendations

Model United Nations is a debating forum based on current affairs and world issues. The Delegates faced a variety of different issues: the situation in Kurdistan, in the Security Council; the monopoly of big pharmaceutical companies, in the Economic and Social Council; the democratic rule of law in LEDCs, in the Legal Committee; and ageing populations in the Social and Humanitarian Committee. A huge variety of topics that our Delegates debated very effectively.

Model United Nations is a relatively new club here at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School and we were extremely proud to see some of our new delegates giving it a go, for the first time, at this conference. Split across a variety of countries our delegates represented Ireland, India, Sweden and Bolivia. With both Charles King-Tenison, as Sweden on the Security Council, and Oscar Franklin, as Ireland on the Legal Committee, receiving a special commendation on their Committees. Additionally the rest of the delegates represented their Nations superbly, often sparking controversial debate.

The school is looking to host a Conference later this academic year in March and with a delegation as strong as this it is sure to be a success.

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – Designer of the Future

is aesthetically pleasing, completely functional, and award-winning. But William Clark certainly can!

Will Clark, 17, is a boarding student at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School and is currently studying for A Levels in Chemistry, Physics and Product Design, but his interest in his subjects extend outside his studies. Will entered a Product Design competition hosted by Tech Soft on a whim. The competition hadn’t been entered by another student at his school, but Will wanted to challenge himself.

He asked one of his teachers if he could take part and they were happy to support him by giving access to the School’s state-of-the-art technical equipment and providing the materials he needed for his project, a full-sized chair.

Head of Design & Technology, Ms Kate O’Flynn, recognised instantly that Will’s talent would be a natural fit with the competition’s brief. Ms O’Flynn said, “Will produced an industry quality laser cut ergonomic chair which forgoes any fasteners, screws or fixings. The sheer scale of engineering and design development required to produce this was extensive but Will happily took this challenge on independently.”

Will’s entry was very impressive and was recognised as such by Tech Soft. He was awarded first place in his category, beating forty other entries from across the country. As part of his win, Will was awarded a £50 Amazon voucher and a £100 voucher for the School to purchase additional Tech Soft products.

Sam Flippance, Sales and Support Manager at Tech Soft, said of Will’s win, “William created an amazing full size chair. It was designed entirely using 2Ddesign and manufactured on the school’s laser. He hand-finished it and assembled the piece. William was able to ensure each part was designed with accuracy, using various contouring, mirror and repeat routines. The parts were then assembled to create a highly attractive and functioning chair. We hope William continues to enjoy his DT education and pursues a career where his CAD skills can be developed and shown off for the world to see.”

Will happily received his certificate and prize in front of the Design & Technology Department, and was delighted to explain the process undertaken to create the chair. The whole Department were obviously proud of Will and his achievement, with Ms O’Flynn commenting “Will is an excellent student who is incredibly committed to his work in design. He produced an outstanding project at GCSE and AS Level showing innovation and flair, and as such we have always recognised that he is a unique talent. We will continue to work with Will this year to support him in his efforts to achieve an excellent A Level. He will be one to watch out for in the future in the design world!”

Manuela Perez Gomez opened her results with her parents and they were all delighted with the three grade 9s, five grade 8s in her total of 11 good GCSE passes. Manuela will be staying at the school to study Maths, French and Drama.

Olunibe Morgan achieved a total of 13 GCSEs all above grade 7, with six Grade 9s and five grade 8s. He was thrilled with his results which have secured him a place at the prestigious Kings College London Mathematics School where he will study Maths, Further Maths and Physics at A Level.

Kendra Hilliard said “I did better than I was expecting but I got what I was hoping for” having opened her results envelope to find she had 11 GSCE passes over grade 7 with four grade 9s and three grade 8s. Kendra will be staying at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School to do her A Levels.

Hattie Banks showed amazing will power as she waited for her friend to arrive before opening her results. Then it was tears of joy when she saw she had 12 GCSEs at grade 7 or above with six at grade 9 and five at grade 8. Hattie was slightly shocked at how well she had done “I’m happier than I was expecting to be” she said.

Joshua Dunstan said “It’s like having an anvil lifted off your shoulders” after opening his results to find he had 14 GSEs with six grade 9s and three grade 8s. Joshua will be studying Maths, Biology, Chemistry and English at A Level.

Headmaster Mark Dixon said “Pupils worked really hard for their GCSEs and this was reflected in their results. They should be really proud of what they have achieved.

“Our scientists have done particularly well this year with the Physics and Chemistry results having an average grade of 8 which is equivalent to an A* in the old system.”

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – A level results 2018

relieved and happy students at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School as they opened their results.

Marcus Keith was in the School’s reception before 8am, eager to open his envelope. Thankfully it was great news! Marcus was delighted with his grades and will be going to Cardiff University to study Physics. Speaking with the Headmaster after, who himself has a Physics degree, Marcus said, “I’m really happy that I got into my first choice university, all the hard work has paid off.”

Another very happy student was Luana de Giorgio who achieved two As in Biology and Spanish, a B in Italian and an A* in Psychology. Luana has been accepted at the University of Exeter to study Psychology. She said “I’m so happy with my results, and I’m really looking forward to attending Exeter University. I’ve decided to change my subject from Psychology to Human Bio Sciences so I’m waiting to hear if that’s possible.”

Angus Calder was also successful in securing a place at his first choice university. He will be going on to study History at the University of Kent. Angus was delighted with his three Bs in Economics, History and Music and confessed that the last two years of A Levels required a high level of dedication. He said, “I haven’t had much of a social life in the last few months as I’ve been concentrating on studying, but it’s definitely been worth it.” Angus, who was in the First XV Rugby Team, is looking forward to starting his course and getting involved in the sporting side of life at university.

Kat Chacon, a boarder at the School, chose the University of York to study Theatre, Writing, Directing and Production. Explaining her choice of subject, Kat said, “I love the arts but wanted to do something more than Drama, so the course at the University of York seemed to fit exactly what I wanted.” Kat is excited to start the next step in her education and enjoying the city of York, which was one of the reasons for choosing the university.

Headmaster, Mark Dixon said, “These results are a testament to the perseverance and hard work on the part of the students. They did well and the vast majority were offered a place at their chosen university. I was particularly pleased to see that 100% of IT BTEC students got the top grade possible of a starred Distinction.

“The guidance and support offered by academic staff and the Sixth Form team has helped students to find the course and university that is right for them. I would like to wish all our students success as they embrace the new challenge of university life, work or apprenticeships.”

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – Talented Katie-Jo’s Two Hundred Trophies

the Royal Alexandra and Albert School has just won her 200th trophy for dancing.

Katie-Jo, who attends NVision Dance School, regularly competes in dance competitions around the country and has notched up over 200 trophies so far. And her collection is growing fast. That’s because she keeps performing so well in competitions in solos, pairs and rock &roll/street dance/contemporary.

Katie-Jo who is already dancing at ‘Champ’ level and regularly wins in competitions with dancers older than her, wants to work in musical theatre or dance when she grows up. She recently auditioned along with 100 other hopefuls for a part in the Leatherhead pantomime and was one of 20 children chosen. She will soon start a hectic schedule of rehearsals.

Katie-Jo’s singing talent has also been recognised. She will be taking part in the ‘Voice in a Million’ concert in Wembley in March and was one of 50 lucky children chosen from 750 hopefuls, to be in the choir on stage.

All this success is the result of the hours of practice and the commitment that Katie-Jo puts in. She said “You have to train really hard at least 2 times a week and sometimes on Saturdays too. You need to focus on good posture, pointing your toes and sharp movements in your arms. I am working hard on my singing and dancing as I know you need to be good at both to work in the West End or on TV.”

Yvonne Willcox, Katie-Jo’s mother said “I would like to thank the staff at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School for all they do to support Katie-Jo. She has grown in confidence and maturity since joining the school last year. Mrs Beer, Mrs West and Mr Edney have helped her to progress in the areas she loves – music and dancing, and she has made huge strides academically too.”

Headmaster Mark Dixon said “Katie-Jo has done really well to achieve so much with her singing and dancing. I would like to wish her every success in the panto and in her other music and dance performances.”

Funmi Morgan achieved an outstanding set of results; three grade 9s, 7A*s and an A. These results have given her a strong foundation from which to pursue a career in medicine. “I worked really hard and I’m just very happy.” She commented.

Charles King-Tenison, who achieved a 9, two 8s, 4A*s 2As and a B and who is staying at the school to study History, Physics, Maths and an EPQ with a scholarship in the Sixth Form, said “I performed better than my mocks in some subjects but not quite as well in others, however, overall I’m very pleased with my results.”

A slightly stunned Kiran Dadhra took a few minutes to adjust to the news of her amazing results: two 9s, an 8, 5A*s and 2As. Kiran has also been awarded a 100% scholarship for the Sixth Form at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School where she plans to study Biology, Chemistry and Maths. She said “I’m overwhelmed. I can’t put into words how I feel. I’m just so happy.”

Another successful scholarship applicant, William Clark, achieved grades 8,7 and 5 as well as 5A*s and 2As. He will stay at the school to study Product Design, Chemistry and Physics and is aiming to study Industrial Design at university.

Mya Thomas was so concerned about the new grading structure, she could not hide her relief when she opened her results envelope to find she had passed English and Maths which were the only ones on the new structure this year. In fact, she exceeded her own expectations with some very comfortable passes. “I was so surprised that I passed maths. And I passed everything else which is brilliant.”

Headmaster, Mark Dixon commented “Students have achieved some excellent results and have been rewarded for all their hard work. The individual success stories are backed up by a dedicated team of teachers and I must give special mention to the Science department where 100% pupils taking triple science achieved A*-C with 72% of grades being A* or A.”

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – A Level results

was no exception and there were some very relieved and happy students at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School.

Oscar Brown achieved his ambition of a place at Queen’s College, Cambridge to read Natural Sciences. Oscar, who achieved 3A* and an A, said “I was fairly confident that I would get the grades, but there is always a bit of uncertainty as there were some questions that didn’t go quite as I had wanted them to.”

Ben Barry will be going to Bristol University to read Veterinary Science and will be the school’s first student vet since the Sixth Form opened in 2010. He is delighted to have gained a place to embark on the 5-year course of study “I genuinely had no idea how I would do in my A Levels, but I did pretty well – I can’t complain” was the understated comment from Ben.

Head Girl, Katie Taylor achieved an A*, 2As and a B and will be going to Bristol University to read Psychology “I’m really relieved to have got into my first choice of university” she said.

Headmaster, Mark Dixon said “There have been many individual success stories today, and underlying these was the hard work and commitment on the part of the staff and the students themselves. This truly has been an exceptional year, with many students far exceeding their predicted grades. It is wonderful to see that the vast majority of our students have achieved a place at their chosen university.”

The number of high grades achieved by students increased this year with 25% of passes being awarded a grade A* or A, compared with 20.5% in 2016.

Interviewer: What were your first impressions of the Royal Alexandra and Albert School?

Mr Dixon: I immediately felt the warmth of the community and the confidence and cheerfulness of the pupils. It brightened up my day as I walked around the campus.

Interviewer: What made you accept the job?

Mr Dixon: The warmth of the community as I mentioned before but also the natural inquisitiveness of the pupils. I walked into Rank Weston, the junior boarding house, and was bowled over by the excitement, the desire to learn and sense of purpose of the boys and girls. The staff were motivated and there was excellent team spirit. The house had a busy but calm atmosphere and I could visualise myself being part of the school.

Interviewer: What are your plans for the future?

Mr Dixon: There is a lot of talk of grammar schools in the news following recent announcements by the Government. I can say now, that this school will not become a grammar school. Our unique community is based around a comprehensive intake and I want to ensure all children, whatever their academic ability, have access to the opportunities we offer.

At a more detailed level, we have a large school roll and I want to develop more facilities for sport. We need more pitches for more teams. At the moment we have some B teams but I would like to see more B teams and even some C teams. I know our pupils are keen to play more sport and staff enjoy coaching them.

We have a growing Sixth Form and I am working on a plan to increase the academic and boarding provision for Sixth Formers.

I would like to support pupils’ thirst for knowledge by investing in our library and online learning resources.

Interviewer: What do you think are the greatest challenges ahead?

Mr Dixon: Continuing to make sure there is adequate aspiration, challenge and support for pupils to maximise their academic progress and personal development. We have a wide range of abilities in this school and our pupils make excellent progress. This is backed up by our Progress 8 score (the new government measure of value added) which shows our pupils make significantly better progress than the national average. The challenge is to maintain this whilst providing a broad and balanced curriculum. We have developed a vision of the attributes our pupils should have and I aim to embed this vision throughout the school community so that all our pupils have these attributes when they leave this school.

Interviewer: What do you think makes your school special?

Mr Dixon: I can’t think of a more diverse and comprehensive school than this. We have pupils from all walks of life. There are local children as well as children from Europe and the rest of the world. There are pupils whose family can afford independent school but choose to send their child here, and others whose places are funded by charities. We have a mix of ages, genders and ethnicities and everyone works and lives together as a diverse and vibrant and community.

This school is unique as local pupils can join boarders and stay for the extended day. All pupils can take advantage of the many opportunities on offer with our co-curricular programme. Over 150 activities are available every week and these include sport, cooking, horse riding, music, cadets, drama and academic support. There are some unusual ones including Octopush, Sugar Craft, Pickleball, Fencing and Lego Club.

Interviewer: What subject do you teach? Do you teach now?

Mr Dixon: I teach Physics and Maths and I always will. As the Headmaster of the school I think it is important that I lead as a teacher. I want this school to have outstanding teaching and it starts with me leading from the front. There is also the point that I just love teaching.

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – GCSE results

Oliver Berry achieved 2 A*s, 6 As and 2 Bs. He said of his results, “I’m so happy, excited, everything! I’m so pleased with my A* in French and how I did overall.” After he collected his results he met new Headmaster, Mark Dixon who was speaking to pupils as they found out their results. Mr Dixon said, “I’m pleased Oliver secured excellent grades and we look forward to welcoming him back to our Sixth Form.” Oliver is looking forward to returning to the school to do A Levels in Chemistry, Physics, Maths and French.

Identical twins Shazia and Sophia Nunhuck had identical results in almost all their identical subjects. Between them they achieved a total of 12 As, 5 A*s and 3 Bs. They were particularly pleased with their joint A*s in French and Spanish. Sophia said, “I didn’t expect to get what I did. I’m really pleased with my results.”

Catherine Currums was jumping with excitement as she read her results of 4 A*s, 5 As and 1 B. “This is great, I can’t believe it. I wanted to do well but I didn’t think these were the results I was going to be opening today.”

The results for science were particularly good. 98% of pupils who took physics got a grade A*-C and the same percent passed chemistry. Biology was close behind with 96% of pupils gaining a grade A*-C. Mark Dixon commented “These are excellent results and a fitting reward for the pupils who worked so hard to achieve them”.

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – A Level results

results. There were many individual successes as pupils learned they had achieved the grades they need to get to university.

Josef Willsher took four A Levels and achieved an A* in Physics, A* in Maths and Bs in Further Maths and Chemistry. He has achieved his goal of a place to read Physics at Imperial College in London. He said “I am excited about moving to London to study and MSc in Physics”.

Toby Gleaves is off to Newcastle University to read Biology having achieved two Bs and a C. He said “I’m looking forward to going to university and I’m really happy I got into Newcastle”.

Amy Dine arrived early to hear that she had secured a place at Nottingham University with a B and two Cs in Sociology, History and Psychology. She will be studying Primary Education and is now on her way to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher.

As well as A Level results, students from Year 12 came to collect their AS results. Katie Taylor was over the moon when she opened the envelope and learned she had achieve four top grade As. This sets her up well for her final year of study next year. She said “This is insane. I wasn’t expecting that!”

But the students were not the only ones who have had a nervous wait over the summer. Maths teacher, Mr Foreman sat A Level Maths in the summer and achieved an A grade. He said “When I took my A Level the first time, I was so ill, I didn’t think the grade I got reflected my ability. As a maths teacher I thought I should have a high grade so I decided to take it again. I teach four of the six maths modules so I didn’t need to revise them. I had to do a bit of studying for the other two modules. I have told the Exams Officer at the School not to let me take another exam as it was so nerve-racking!”

Headmaster, Mark Dixon, who has just joined the School said “It is wonderful to join the school in the summer when students are celebrating their results and getting into some of this country’s leading universities.”

Royal Alexander and Albert School – Founders’ Day with Duchess of Gloucester

the School, she has made frequent visits to mark significant occasions in the School’s life. This year she joined pupils, staff, governors and past pupils for the annual Founders’ Day service on 6th May 2016. This was the last Founders’ Day service for retiring Headmaster, Paul D Spencer Ellis and the whole day was a celebration of the ongoing success of the school.

The Duchess particularly wanted to meet pupils during her visit, and she met many of them as she handed out prizes to this year’s winners. She joined staff and pupils for a brief reception before greeting Junior pupils who were waiting excitedly to meet her. She even ‘high-fived’ one of the juniors during her walkabout.

During the Founders’ Day service, the Duchess heard how the School continues to support children whose home circumstances make boarding education desirable. There was a particularly moving address from Chloe Rutherfoord, a past pupil who is currently studying Medicine at Bristol University. Chloe explained how the School had helped her to overcome very difficult home circumstances, and enabled her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

Headmaster, Paul Spencer Ellis said “I am delighted the Duchess was able to share this important day with us. Over my 15 years as the Headmaster of this School she has been a wonderful supporter of what we do, and it makes a huge difference to have such a committed and enthusiastic President.”

Photo: Honour guard of cadets and the Duchess walk towards Chapel for the Founders’ Day service.

Royal Alexandra and Albert School – Remembrance Day

had the opportunity to remember those who gave their lives for this country.

The first service was for pupils aged seven to thirteen and it was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the School’s flagpole. The second service was for older pupils, including the Sixth Form and it was attended by past pupils and other guests. At both services, the names of all the past pupils who had lost their lives in conflict were read aloud. The address at the services was given by the Headmaster, Paul Spencer Ellis and he talked of how the past pupils who were lost in the First World War, and other wars, were ordinary people just like them. By describing the lives of these people, including Graham Lambie who died in Northern Ireland in 1988, he gave pupils an insight into the magnitude of the loss for every family affected.

In the porch of the school Chapel, alongside the roll of honour for those lost in all the wars since the First World War, is a special memorial with details of the past pupils who lost their lives almost exactly one hundred years ago. The details of the lives lost are updated every few weeks when there is another hundredth anniversary of a life lost. Currently the porch has details of Eric Edwardes who came to the School (which was an orphanage at the time) in 1903 at the age of eight following the death of his father. He volunteered to join the army and despatched to serve in France on 28th October 1915. He died eleven days later on 8th November, just before his 20th birthday.

The School’s Cadets marched from Chapel to the flag pole for a wreath laying ceremony after the first service. They also formed an honour guard as people left Chapel after the second service.

Headmaster Paul D Spencer Ellis said “It is appropriate that we take time to remember those that have lost their lives in the service of this country. The behaviour of pupils throughout today has been respectful and dignified and they have taken Remembrance Day very seriously. Our Cadets, who have many new recruits amongst their number, performed their duties impeccably.”